


The Fairy Godmother

by dendriticgold



Category: Downton Abbey
Genre: Futurefic, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-04-08
Updated: 2014-04-08
Packaged: 2018-01-18 16:20:55
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 9,792
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1434886
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/dendriticgold/pseuds/dendriticgold
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Thomas and Jimmy encounter Ivy while holidaying at a campsite in England in the late 1930s. Amid camp life, swimsuits and fancy dress competitions, Jimmy makes amends for past slights.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

_1937, Chipfields Campsite, England_

Softness and warmth at his lips. That was Jimmy's first sensation upon stirring from an unexpectedly deep sleep. The beautiful feeling of Thomas's kiss first thing in the morning, something experienced far too rarely given their normal sleeping arrangements, rousing him, tantalizing him, waking him…bringing him back to the cold, the damp and the damnably hard ground beneath his back.

'Oh God…' He grumbled, his eyes screwed tight shut in a grimace before finally opening, as the painful stiffness of his back and neck flared into his consciousness.

'Comfy?'

Thomas's smirking face came into view above him as Jimmy blinked back the sleep in his groggy eyes.

'Oh bloody HELL!' Jimmy moaned, arching his back up off the sleeping mat in an attempt to get some much needed circulation going. He was rewarded with a sharp twinge of pain for his efforts. 'Jesus!'

Thomas, propped up on his side, gate a hearty laugh.

'Ugh…' Jimmy said as he began to pull himself up into a sitting position, before thinking better of it and flopping back down onto his small and lumpy pillow. He frowned at registering Thomas was in his pyjamas and dressing gown; items Thomas had most definitely NOT been wearing when the two of them had collapsed down together, sweaty and spent, limbs entwined, the previous evening. 'What are you all dressed up for?' He said, tugging the thick woolen blanket tighter around his naked chest.

'Thought I'd go and brave the shower block.' Said Thomas with a look of exaggerated distaste.

Jimmy frowned and peered down past his toes to the bright sunlight peeking through the thin gaps between the fastenings of the tent flaps, which were still closed but undulating slightly in the breeze. 'What time is it?'

'Time to start the day sleepyhead. Come on.' Thomas said, giving a pat to Jimmy's blanket swathed stomach.

'Oh…' Jimmy turned stiffly onto his side, pulling the blanket up over his head. 'I've changed my mind. I want a hotel room.'

'NOT if you ever plan on us saving enough to leave the Abbey and set up into business while still making the most of our holiday time.' Thomas laughed, shifting awkwardly forwards on his rear in the small tent to begin to undo the ties at the exit.

'I'll trade ANYTHING for a proper bed right now.' Jimmy mumbled jokingly from under the blankets. Thomas turned to look over his shoulder as he opened the tent up to sunlight, smiling at the hunched up bundle that was Jimmy hiding from the day. 'And my pillow's damp.' Jimmy added grumpily after a pause.

'This whole bloody tent's damp.' Chuckled Thomas, grimacing a little himself as he stretched his slipper clad feet out of the tent in preparation to stand. 'And you'd best get some clothes on before I draw up the sides to air it out!'

'Is it cold outside?'

Thomas took a slow inhale of the crisp and dewy morning air through his nostrils as he gingerly stood up, hands on his hips. 'No.' He lied, surveying the small village of tents and caravans in the field below the secluded slope where they had elected to pitch their tent. The camp warden had given them some very strange looks indeed upon requesting that particular pitch, given it was generally only used in the height of season when level ground was scarce, but Thomas had quite eloquently explained that he and Jimmy had chosen to come to Chipfields primarily for the spectacular (read; grey, muddy and bleak) view over the estuary and consequently preferred the higher ground. He had also explained that they would much rather be away from the noise of the other campers; declining to add that the other campers would probably stand to benefit more in the cause of noise reduction were he and Jimmy to bed down a little away from the beaten track.

Jimmy's disgruntled face, topped with highly disheveled hair poked out from between the tent flaps.

'Will you make me some tea?' He said, sniffing in disdain at the cold air outside.

'Ha! I'll have you know the Butler is off duty!' Thomas teased, knotting his dressing gown tightly and bending down to retrieve his towel and wash bag from inside the tent. 'The goods are over there…' He said, nodding his head towards the collection of storage tins and pots sitting just under the tent awning. '…make it yourself! I'll sort out the tent when I get back.'

Jimmy scowled at him, before suddenly perking up. 'I smell bacon. Can we have bacon?'

'By all means go and buy some!' Thomas said with a wink before waving him goodbye and beginning to pick his way down the slope towards the uninspiring grey rectangular building to the side of the campsite that housed the men's showers, the smell of a dozen or so makeshift stoves and burners sizzling feasts of bacon and eggs for the other campers, who had clearly made an early morning visit to the farm shop, pleasantly teasing his nostrils as he did so.

'Bastard.' Jimmy called after him, more as a term of endearment than as an insult.

A short while later, musing that perhaps he should have followed Thomas's lead and made a trip to the shower block before getting dressed as the lingering residues of the previous night chaffed unpleasantly in his clothes, he walked past the club hut and deck chairs ringing the shallow swimming pool at the far side of the camp before stumbling his way through the sea of tent guy ropes with a brown paper bag of bacon and bread clutched protectively to his chest.

He breathed a sigh of relief at making it through the campsite unscathed, having almost tripped several times as he looked up ahead to ensure he was still heading in the correct direction.

A tiny girl playing by herself, throwing a ball up the slope underneath his tent to catch it again as it rolled down, formed his final obstacle.

He quickened his pace, avoiding looking in her direction as he powered past.

'Hey Mister?'

Jimmy came to a reluctant halt, closing his eyes in frustration.

'Mister?'

'Yes…' Jimmy forced a smile onto his face as he pivoted round to face her. Or rather, look down at her, crouching as she was by the bottom of the slope. '…little miss?' He added as an afterthought, his conscience reminding him that one really  _should_  be friendly when addressing children if one could help it.

'Catch?' She said, holding the ball out in her small hands.

'Um…No thank you.' Jimmy said. Even had he not been eager to attend to the matter of breakfast, he was a man of many talents but hand-eye coordination in sports was not one of them. And he didn't think he could take the indignity of being bested by a little girl. 'Sorry.' He said gingerly, hoping that would be the end of it and bracing himself for the anticipated look of disappointment.

'That's ok.' Said the girl, very matter of factly, rising up from her crouching position and smoothing out the skirt of her yellow dress in a manner more befitting a great lady than a little child. The top of her head was barely level with Jimmy's hip when she was fully upright. 'What would YOU like to play?'

'Actually I'm a bit busy right now.' Said Jimmy with an apologetic grimace, trying to match the little girls sincere and no nonsense manner of speaking. 'I've got to make breakfast.' He said, giving a small nod and smile to the girl before turning to walk up the slope.

He made it about half way up before a rustling in the grass behind him alerted him to the fact he was not alone.

He turned his head, his lips thinning at the sight of the girl walking determinedly behind him.

He looked back up towards the tent, dearly hoping that Thomas had made it back and that he would assist him with his…little problem.

But the tent was empty.

'Won't your mummy be looking for you?' He said desperately as the girl plonked herself down to sit on the ground outside the tent.

She shook her head, the thin curls of childhood bobbing about wildly as she did so. 'Mummy said I could go and play.'

'Well…we're not playing now. I need to cook.' Said Jimmy, pulling the set of pans out from under the front of the tent, reaching back further to retrieve the small camping stove he and Thomas had borrowed for the occasion, to show he was serious.

'Good!' The little girl clapped her hands gleefully and snatched up the smallest of the pans, miming putting it on an imaginary burner on the grass in front of her.

At a complete loss for what to do, and unable to stomach the indignity of having to beg the child to 'Please leave' Jimmy set about the task of getting the burner lit.

'Mummy and daddy have a better one.' She said with a sage nod as Jimmy struggled not to swear in front of her upon burning the tips of his fingers.

'I don't doubt it.' Jimmy replied tersely, sucking his wounded fingers in his mouth.

Eventually he got it lit and set the largest of the pans upon it, doling out the bacon along it's base with a feeling of great relief.

The little girl peered into the pan as the bacon began to sizzle. 'I didn't know you could do it like that.'

'Like what?' Jimmy said absently as he laid out slices of bread onto metal plates.

'Without butter.' She said, wrinkling her nose. 'Won't it stick?'

'Won't it…what?' Said Jimmy in alarm, crawling quickly back over to the pan to see that the dripping fat had become a brown scum, welding the bacon slices firmly to it's bottom. 'Oh!'

'Daisy!'

Jimmy turned in surprise at the sound of the familiar name spoken in a familiar voice.

His mouth fell open upon recognising the woman picking her way up the slope as none other than Ivy; a little rounder than when he had last seen her, and a lot better dressed, but Ivy nonetheless. And looking every bit as earnest and fresh faced as she had the day she had left the Abbey a dozen or so years earlier.

The little girl instantly jumped up off the floor with a big smile on her face and ran towards her, little arms outstretched.

'Daisy! Oh you…' Ivy bent down to kiss the top of Daisy's head as she half-disappeared into the folds of her skirt, hugging her knees. '…you had me worried! I couldn't find you, you mischievous one you!'

Jimmy was too shocked to do anything other than watch.

The joyous greeting played out before his eyes for quite some time.

'Oh…' Said Ivy, suddenly remembering there was another present. 'I do hope Daisy hasn't caused you any trouble Mr…?'

She looked up at Jimmy.

She froze.

'Hello Ivy.' Jimmy eventually got out in the ensuing silence, rising awkwardly to his feet.

'It's Mrs Gregory…' She said quietly. '…Mr Kent.'

'Mummy you know the Mister?' Said Daisy, clutching at Ivy's hand, head craned up to look towards her face.

'Yes pet.' Said Ivy, squeezing her hand, not taking her eyes from Jimmy's. 'I did.'

Daisy looked towards Jimmy to provide further details when it became apparent Ivy had no intention of doing so.

'We used to work together, mummy and I.' Said Jimmy, trying to keep a hint of brightness in his voice even as he felt himself withering under Ivy's stare.

'I'll thank you to address me as Mrs Gregory.' Said Ivy, a slight catch in her voice.

'Mrs Gregory and I used to work together.' Jimmy corrected himself instantly, feeling his pulse quicken as Ivy continued to regard him in a way that was both stern and strange.

An unpleasant silence fell.

'So…Daisy, eh?' Said Jimmy with a small laugh, desperate for any means to cut the tension.

'A good name from a good woman.' Ivy replied tonelessly.

'Yes.' Jimmy said quickly, fearing the consequences of saying anything else.

'We'd best be going…' Said Ivy, swallowing heavily. 'Thank you for looking after my Daisy.' She said with forced grace as she steered Daisy around to leave.

'She was more looking after me really.' Jimmy joked, uneasy with the mood of their parting. 'If I'd asked for her advice sooner I might not have burnt my breakfast!'

'Good day, Mr Kent.' Said Ivy, unmoved by Jimmy's attempt at levity.

'Good day, Mrs Gregory.' Said Jimmy to her back as she walked away, Daisy in tow. 'And good day Miss Gregory.' He added for Daisy's benefit, because it seemed the right thing to do.

Daisy turned around to beam a smile at him as she trotted away alongside her mother.

He let out a long and pained exhale of breath as the two of them disappeared into the mass of tents and caravans below, feeling shaken to the core and more than a little thrown by Ivy's coldness.

The smell of cremating bacon quickly brought him back to himself.

He rushed to get the pan off the burner, mercifully remembering to wrap a cloth around the handle before doing so, so as to avoid a handle-shaped burn on his palm.

He sat back on his heels, wondering if he had time to get back to the shop to get butter (and more bacon) before Thomas made it back from the shower block.

The answer was almost certainly 'no', but there was nothing else for it.

Hiding the ruined pan behind the tent, Jimmy began to walk briskly back to the farm shop; dearly hoping to avoid running into 'Mrs Gregory' en route, but at the same yearning for the contrary to help unknot the strange feeling in his stomach that her unflinching stare had left behind.


	2. Chapter 2

_1937, Chipfields Campsite, England_

As Jimmy walked up the final approach he found, as expected, Thomas had returned. Crisply dressed and neatly coiffed, Thomas stood in front of the tent, the undersides neatly looped up to expose the dark interior to the breeze as promised; and a thoroughly wrecked saucepan in his hand.

'Ah…' Said Jimmy sheepishly as Thomas twirled the pan around his wrist as he approached.

'Indeed.' Thomas smiled, tossing it away to the side of the tent. 'But at least this requires no detective work…THIS on the other hand…' Thomas drew out a small wooden ball from his pocket. 'This is puzzling. You're the last person I'd expect to own one of these!' He said with a wink, throwing it in Jimmy's direction.

It bounced against Jimmy's chest, becoming lodged between the new brown paper bag and his stomach as he fell.

'Oh Daisy!' Jimmy sighed, quite forgetting to be proud of having 'caught' the ball.

'Daisy?' Said Thomas with a frown. 'There's a familiar name.'

'Mmmmm.' Jimmy mumbled. 'You're not going to believe who I saw this morning.'

'Do tell?' Said Thomas, setting himself down on the grass on a mat laid out by the tent opening, making it absolutely clear by his posture that he intended to take no active part in the spectacle that would be Jimmy's second attempt at breakfast.

'Well this little girl follows me back to the tent when I'm on my way back from the shop…'

'The first time?' Thomas interjected with a wicked grin and a nod to the frazzled bacon that remained stuck to the base of the discarded pan despite now being at a ninety degree angle to the floor.

'Yes.' Jimmy replied with a twist of his mouth, his eyes bright as his gaze briefly met Thomas's. 'The first time.' Thanks to his earlier practice he got the burner lit without incident and set about greasing the pan's base liberally. 'And this girl comes and sits with me while I'm cooking…'

'Not entirely the word I'd use for what you did to the poor pan.' Thomas said, popping a cigarette deftly into his mouth by way of accompaniment to the endearing image of Jimmy attempting to be domestic as he laid out the fresh bacon.

'Do you want to hear the story or not?' Jimmy said craning his head around to give Thomas a stern look that quickly melted into a smile at the contrast between the pristinely presented man and the coarse and grubby canvas behind him.

'I do apologise.' Said Thomas, not looking in the least bit sorry. 'Pray continue.' He said, sweeping the hand clutching his cigarette lazily in front of him with a flourish to urge Jimmy onwards.

'Well the girl was sitting here.' Jimmy paused, glancing at Thomas, enjoying watching Thomas grapple with the urge to interrupt again, keeping him waiting a good while before continuing. 'And then her mother comes running up the hill and you'll never guess who she was.'

'Well I know it wasn't Daisy.' Said Thomas, the brightness on his face faltering a little.

'No.' Jimmy concurred, growing somber for a moment. 'It was Ivy.'

'Ivy!'

'Oh…sorry, Mrs Gregory.' Jimmy said drolly with an exaggerated roll of his eyes.

'My word…' Said Thomas. 'The married lady herself!'

'None other.' Said Jimmy, half-walking, half-crawling to sit beside Thomas, rolling the ball on the grass in front of him. 'And she's named her little girl Daisy.'

'That's a nice touch.' Said Thomas with a small smile.

'She's a feisty thing.' Said Jimmy, nudging against Thomas's shoulder with the side of his head. 'And I suppose now…' He held up the little ball. '…I shall have to see her again. You know I'd swear she must have left this on purpose.'

Thomas gave a small laugh. 'Why would she do a thing like that?'

'I think she enjoyed seeing me uncomfortable.' Said Jimmy wryly, reluctantly extracting himself from Thomas's side to rescue the bacon just in time before it went the way of the last lot, butter or no butter.

'Oh?'

'Yes…mummy dearest gave me a bit of a hard time.' Said Jimmy, handing a bacon sandwich to Thomas before settling himself back down beside him with his own. 'I suspect little Daisy is eager for a second round.'

'Well NOW I'm intrigued…' Said Thomas, awkwardly balancing his cigarette between two fingers despite being obliged to use both hands to keep his sandwich from falling apart.

'She was just…' Said Jimmy, taking a bite out of his sandwich and speaking through a full mouth, an indulgence he would never dream of pursuing in the presence of anyone other than Thomas. '…cold.'

'With her golden boy?' Thomas said with a raised eyebrow. 'Surely not.' He teased.

'Most definitely yes.' Said Jimmy. 'Now I'm afraid to walk through the campsite in case I see her!' He laughed.

'Oh…' Said Thomas with a deep sigh of mock disappointment. 'And here was me hoping you'd be up for a little fun in the camp today…'

Jimmy finished the last bite of his sandwich, plucking the last vestiges of Thomas's cigarette from his fingers to take a quick taste before crushing it against the ground. 'I'm afraid to ask.' He said.

'Well I was chatting to this bloke in the shower block…'

'Not sure I like this story.' Jimmy cut in with a chuckle.

'If you interrupt I'll just leave it there and let you wonder.' Said Thomas evilly, pressing a quick kiss behind Jimmy's ear after a quick survey of their immediate surroundings, knowing precisely the right spot at the border between skin and hair to attack to raise a chuckle.

Jimmy squirmed away from him, giggling. The blush in his cheeks that arose from the embarrassment at having made a sound not unlike that of a pre-pubescent girl only making him more endearing in Thomas's eyes as Jimmy leaned over to rest on his side on the grass, partially hiding his face inside his bent arm, safely away from Thomas's mischievous lips.

'Anyway…' Thomas slowly began. '…it turns out that our early afternoon's entertainment today comes in the form of a celebration of shameless exhibitionism.'

Jimmy gave him a perplexed look.

'Swimsuit competition.' Thomas explained. 'By the pool…Showcasing the finest in our increasingly scandalous quest for displaying the maximum of flesh while maintaining social decency.'

Jimmy chuckled. 'You know I still can't fathom why thighs are acceptable at the pool but not at the pub…'

'I promise you, if you want to take a pair of scissors to your trousers I shall be more than happy to give my honest feedback on the results.'

'Oi!' For want of anything else to throw, Jimmy tossed the ball lying beside him at Thomas's head.

Thomas caught it without flinching, naturally.

'So how about it?' Said Thomas.

'Well I AM interested to see the latest in nip and tuck techniques in ladies swimwear.' Said Jimmy, picking at the grass as he looked up at Thomas.

'There's a blokes competition too.'

Jimmy's expression took on an uncomfortable overtone. 'You honestly think an afternoon of the two of us watching one another staring at half-naked men is going to end in anything other than bloodshed?'

Thomas smiled at him. 'I was rather planning on me just staring at you…seeing how you measure up to the competition.' He joked.

'Me? Enter?' Said Jimmy incredulously. 'You must be off your rocker!'

Thomas gave a pout, a rare moment of true silliness that warmed Jimmy's heart; but made no dent in his resolve whatsoever.

'Not a bloody chance Thomas!' He said sternly.

Thomas sank down onto his side, mindless of the crumbs and other dangers the grass posed to his suit, to mimic Jimmy's posture. 'I'll make it worth your while…'

Jimmy leaned forwards, a simpering look on his face, drawing dangerously close to Thomas, drawing a bright look of anticipation from the latter before stopping to whisper.

'No.'

'Oh come on!' Thomas said, drawing back, kicking himself for having fallen for Jimmy's teasing flirt. 'I know how much time you spend looking in the mirror you vain whatsit.'

'Well believe it or not, I'm not one for making a public exhibition of myself!'

'You show off enough at Downton.' Thomas countered with a wry look.

'That's it's own little world.' Jimmy retorted. 'This is a little different.' He said, looking down at all the figures milling about between the tents against the rolling fields of the landscape beyond, a hint of an uncomfortable grimace on his face.

'Well that's a shame.' Said Thomas, laying on his back to look up at the sky.

'I don't see you volunteering yourself for the parade.' Laughed Jimmy, propping himself up on his arms to look down at Thomas's pleasantly placid face. 'And I think it's pretty rich being mocked for spending too much time in the mirror when you just spent half the morning in the shower…'

'Oh it's like THAT is it?' Said Thomas devilishly. 'Suppose I'll just have to dig out my swimsuit then, won't I?'

In the immediate aftermath, Thomas was absolutely assured of the fact that any amount of public scrutiny, and likely humiliation, was worth it for the look of shock on Jimmy's face.

But later, amid the colorful hustle and bustle of splashes, running children and oiled sunbathers, viewing the other assembled participants he began to feel like he had made something of a misstep.

The other contestants were of a variety even more tanned, taunt and well sculpted than a much younger Jimmy, and had him feeling both unacceptably pallid and old.

Still, he reasoned, looking out across the pool to where Jimmy sat perched on the edge of a deckchair shaking his head in disbelief (as he had been doing for the better part of the day since Thomas's announcement), at least he stood out from the competition.

Jimmy barely noticed the rest of them. The view of Thomas unclothed, separated from him by the water of the pool and the crush of other spectators, did strange things to his emotions; having Thomas so far away, unobtainable yet undeniably, as ever, his. It sent a shiver down his spine that was not entirely unpleasant.

Shaking his head to remove the risqué thoughts, not fancying the prospect of being stuck hunched over on the deckchair while his arousal abated, Jimmy swept his eyes over the others seated about the swimming pool; searching for the owner of the small ball he had clutched in his hand.

He spied Daisy, a white fluffy gown knotted tight around what he presumed must be a swimsuit beneath, dancing about excitedly on the paving slabs. With a grimace he noted that Ivy sat on the deckchair behind, partially shrouded by the shade from a parasol, dressed precisely as she had been when he saw her earlier.

He watched the two of them for a moment, silently praying for Daisy to break away and wander in his direction so he could return the toy discretely, but he had no such luck.

With a sigh, he pulled himself up off the deckchair and slowly picked his way over to them; narrowly missing falling in the pool and stepping on several children in the process as his gaze continually strayed back to the sight of Thomas, pale and most definitely 'interesting' in a sea of the finest by way of bronzed and vacant that the campsite had to offer.

'Yours I believe, young lady.' Said Jimmy, bending down to offer the ball out to Daisy, pointedly ignoring her mother for the moment at the fear her expression might have him running hastily away again.

'Yes!' Daisy said, snatching it from his hand, beaming at him. 'But I don't need it now.' She informed him. 'I'm going back swimming.'

'Right…' Said Jimmy, not entirely sure how to respond to that particular bit of information. 'Well I'll just…' He began to shuffle awkwardly away. 'Say good day to you.' He said, miming tipping a hat he wasn't wearing. 'And good day to Mrs Gregory.' He called over Daisy's head to Ivy, feeling like he should at least make a token acknowledgement of her presence.

Ivy blinked and turned towards him in surprise, seemingly not having noticed his presence until that moment. 'Mr Kent…' She said, sounding very thrown. '…is that  _Mr Barrow_?' She indicated across the pool towards the blatantly out-of-place Thomas, currently walking in a slow circle along with other similarly scantily clad men.

'The one and only.' Jimmy said, averting his gaze to the floor before adding. 'We're here camping together.' He realised, just after making that particular omission, that Ivy was most likely commenting on the strangeness of seeing Thomas in that particular setting, rather than meaning anything by he and Jimmy being each other's travel companions. But he was glad he came out and said it off the cuff anyway, it left him feeling a little lighter.

'Together?' Ivy echoed his last word, her attention half on Jimmy and half on Daisy who had scurried off towards the water of the swimming pool.

'Yes.' Jimmy said quietly.

Ivy gave a small nod, a far less dramatic reaction than Jimmy had expected, almost bordering on the positive in fact in the way that her face softened ever so slightly. But there was still coldness there. And a good deal of it.

'You not having a go at the ladies competition?' Jimmy offered by way of conversation, nodding towards the spectacle.

'Too old for that sort of thing.' Ivy replied curtly, settling herself back against the deck chair by way of indication that their conversation was over.

Jimmy sat down on the edge of the chair next to her, purely due to a wish to avoid hazarding the perilous journey back to his original seat. He consented to remain silent, although for a moment grappled with the wish to inform Ivy that if Thomas didn't deem himself 'too old for that sort of thing' then neither of them had the right to such an excuse.

Still, looking across at Thomas's obvious discomfort, Jimmy had to concede Ivy may have a point. He made a mental note to make the biggest of fusses over Thomas as soon as he was released from the line-up (more specifically, once they were alone).

On the other side of the pool, to say Thomas was suffering would have been an understatement. Wishing he had a carton of cigarettes on him (not that there was anywhere to put them in his flimsy swimming shorts) and feeling painfully aware that his regular tray-carrying and stair-climbing exercise was a poor substitute for whatever the other men around him were doing to hone their physiques, Thomas gave a polite nod to the usher who directed him forwards in the line-up and commenced, highly reluctantly, with the torture of public display.

At first he stepped forwards tentatively, almost apologetically. But then something marvelous happened. He reminded himself he was Thomas barrow. A man who got exactly what he wanted in life, no matter the odds, no matter his natural impediments, no matter the inherent unfairness of society. And he was remarkable.

The middle aged ladies clutching their clipboards at the side of the pool suddenly found their hearts set inexplicably aflutter by the sight of a mature, rapidly-silvering fox, who smiled as though he had the entire world at his feet.

'Not bad, eh?' Thomas grinned as he strutted the final few feet towards Jimmy's deck chair, medal clutched in his hand rather than round his neck, but still clearly drawing amusement and pride from having it in his possession.

Jimmy nodded enthusiastically, knowing his eyes probably said more about his delight (and relief) than his words could at that moment.

'Mrs Gregory!' Thomas announced, greeting Ivy as though she were a guest to his role as Butler, rather than two people happening to meet by the side of a swimming pool. 'How delightful. Jimmy mentioned he'd seen you earlier.'

'Mr Barrow.' Ivy responded with a nod, and a level of warmth that had Jimmy sitting up in his chair in surprise.

'I think I'll be off now to get into something a little warmer…' Thomas said, indicating his insubstantial swimming shorts and the goose pimples that were prickling at his arms and legs in the crisp breeze from the estuary now that the sun had vanished behind low cloud cover. '…but I hope to see you again. Perhaps at the club hut?' He said, more by way of politeness than in order to make any real plans. But Ivy smiled and nodded again all the same.

Deeply perturbed that Ivy's animosity was apparently reserved for him alone, Jimmy made his own brief goodbye and hurried off after Thomas.

'Don't you think you should put your clothes back on before you…?' Jimmy began as Thomas retrieved his towel and bundle of clothes from the changing block and proceeded to walk towards the campsite without so much as wrapping an extra stitch around himself.

'What, and cover up the prize winning formula?' Thomas joked, finding his skin eager for the air despite the cooling temperature, with the promise of the warmth of the claustrophobic tent to look forwards to at the end of the journey.

'Oh you're going to be just impossible now, aren't you?' Jimmy grumbled, having to walk faster than usual to keep up.

'Most definitely.' Thomas said with a wink.

At length they reached the tent. And after the interruption of having to roll down and re-peg the sides of the tent, something that took longer than it should have by Jimmy being continually distracted by Thomas's need to bend and contort into various postures while still only in his swim shorts to accomplish the task, the two of them gratefully slid inside.

The smell wasn't so bad given the half-day of airing, and almost immediately the air inside began to feel warmer as they panted against the exertion of having re-pegged the outside. The sound of the breeze was amplified that far up the hill, making the small tent seem all the more a sanctuary against the outside world.

'Now then…' Said Thomas, lazily reclining on what had been Jimmy's side of the tent (not that either of them were ever particularly finicky about their sleeping arrangements). '…what can a champion look forward to by way of congratulations?'

'Gosh, I don't know!' Said Jimmy in breathless voice of mock innocence, lying down besides Thomas. Propping himself up on one elbow he reached over to trail the fingers of his free hand over the coarse fabric concealing a tempting rise at the front of Thomas's swim shorts. 'I just don't know…' Jimmy said, leaning over to give an unhurried and torturously gentle series of kisses to Thomas's lips, circling the pads of his fingers over the contours highlighted by the fabric of his swim shorts as he did.

Thomas raised his hips to enable him to tug the trunks off, but found himself pushed back down by a strong hand to the stomach. 'Mmmm?' He murmured against Jimmy's lips.

'I'm rather enjoying you as you are.' Jimmy replied in a whisper, running his palm firmly up and down between Thomas's bent legs to stroke him over his swim shorts.

'You'll enjoy me a lot more with them off.' Thomas growled, giving a teasing bite to Jimmy's lower lip as he came back in for another kiss.

'Hmmmm…' Jimmy said, breaking the friction of his palm and Thomas's rapidly awakening erection to slide just the tip of his finger under the seam of Thomas's swim shorts; unhurriedly following the seam up and down, raising the fabric just off him a little. '…No I think this is perfectly enjoyable.' He grinned as Thomas twisted his hips to try to get more of Jimmy's finger (preferably, entire hand) under his shorts.

Somewhere amid the laughing, kissing and general torture, Thomas eventually snapped and rolled over to pin Jimmy onto his back; their respective garments (not that Thomas had much on by way of clothing at all) pulled down enough to enable them to rut hurriedly against one another to completion.

'What  _is_  the matter with Ivy?' Said Jimmy once he had sufficiently regained the ability to breath, still laid out on his back with Thomas partially crushing his chest.

'Not quite the response I was hoping for…' Thomas drawled, for a moment leaving his head resting on Jimmy's shoulder before reluctantly pushing himself up and off him.

'Seriously though…' Said Jimmy with a laugh, reaching out a hand to trail down Thomas's arm as he got up, as unhappy as ever to lose skin contact, even on a temporary basis. '…should I try and talk to her?'

'Well I was just passing and I…I thought I'd look in on how you are.' Jimmy said, as though he hadn't spent the previous half hour trying to find Ivy's tent (only to realise that the Gregory family were holidaying in a caravan). 'And, you know…' Said Jimmy, shifting awkwardly about with his hands in his pockets, his shoulders hunched defensively forwards. '…see how the other half lives.' He said, nodding towards the caravan, which most likely cost something akin to the same he and Thomas were eventually looking to spend on a house or flat.

Ivy looked up from her task, sat as she was sewing on a small collapsible chair with Daisy sitting at her feet, the latter sifting through the small bundles of pink and peach fabric scattered haphazardly on the grass in front of her.

'We are quite well, thank you.' Said Ivy, looking immediately back down to her sewing. 'And I do hope our temporary abode meets with your approval.' She added, somewhat curtly.

'Mrs Gregory…' Said Jimmy, his fidgeting increasing as Ivy then proceeded to ignore him. '…I wondered if we might…If I might have a word?'

Ivy lowered the sewing, a small purple skirt she was re-hemming, onto her lap with a weary sigh. For a moment her eyes looked blankly on the ground in front of her.

'Daisy, love.' She said gently. 'Why don't you go and see how daddy's getting on inside? See if he needs anything before he goes out tonight?'

With a vigorous nod, clearly proud to be commissioned on such an important task, Daisy rose to her feet. She gave a little curtsey by way of both greeting and goodbye to Jimmy before skipping quickly over to the door of the caravan.

She looked over her shoulder a moment before entering, briefly torn between the welcome promise of being of assistance to daddy and the certain knowledge she would be missing something most peculiar outside while attending to him. She  _did_  eventually vanish though.

Ivy took a very deep breath as Daisy disappeared from view, giving a long and slow exhale as she turned to look at Jimmy.

'What might we talk about Mr Kent?' She said sternly.

'Well I…' Jimmy scurried over to her, reluctant to broach the subject at a distance, but was left fidgeting awkwardly on his feet; there being no additional chair he could take. He considered taking on of the set of collapsible chairs resting against the caravan wall, but had a feeling that 'Mrs Gregory' might take it as something of a liberty. '…I can't help but get the feeling I've done something to make you angry.' Said Jimmy.

'Oh you do now, do you?' Said Ivy darkly.

'Ivy, please…' Said Jimmy softly, risking overfamiliarity and visibly wincing from it in fear of reproach. '…talk to me. Tell me what I've done. I thought…I'd been under the impression we parted as friends.'

'We did I suppose.' Said Ivy in a small voice. 'But I've reasons enough to resent you Mr Kent.'

'I don't…'

'I saw myself having a  _life_ with you!' Ivy suddenly blurted out before rapidly settling herself back down, embarrassed by the outburst.

Jimmy blushed uncomfortably. 'Ivy, I can't help it that I didn't want you.'

It sounded a lot harsher out of his mouth than it had done so inside his head, but Ivy was not in the least bit riled by it.

'I know that.' She said, nodding her head absently. 'Believe me I saw enough of what went on with Alfred and Daisy to know that you can't force love when it isn't there.'

'Then why have you suddenly decided you hate me?'

'It wasn't sudden, Jimmy.' Ivy said, slipping into using his first name as she cast her mind back. 'At first I looked back on you as a treat, a delight, something I should have been happy to have had if only for a little while. But then…' She swallowed heavily. '…death comes, and children come, and some people make a life for themselves, others don't, and I just…I realised life is short.' She dropped her head down, closing her eyes as she sighed. 'And you took years of mine, when you  _knew_  you didn't want me.'

'I was…I was young. I didn't know.' Jimmy said shakily.

'You knew Jimmy.' Said Ivy simply. 'And so did everyone else. I was just too foolish to believe it. And why would I, eh?' She turned to him. 'The kisses, the dancing, the outings…You did  _everything_  in your power to make me think you loved me when you didn't. I could have spent my whole life hanging on your every word, hoping one day you'd marry. Do you not see how cruel that was?'

Jimmy bit his lips, looking uncomfortably at the ground as he gave a tiny nod. 'But you moved on alright though, didn't you?' He ventured.

'A girl in my position could never have turned down an offer of marriage from such a well to do man.' Ivy hissed at him, her voice low as she glanced towards the partially open window of the caravan. 'And it was years before I stopped looking at him and wishing he was you.'

Jimmy felt his face screw up as he found himself unexpectedly close to crying. 'But are you alright now? At least tell me the two of you are alright now?' He said softly.

'We are.' Ivy agreed. 'He's a good man. And I've found a love for him that's more real than anything I had for you.'

That last part stung a little, but Jimmy was glad of her words. It gave him license to feel a little less guilty.

'Why are you just angry at me though?' Jimmy said tentatively, more through genuine curiosity rather than any relevance to the discussion. 'Why were you warm to Mr Barrow earlier? When he's crushed your hopes as much as I have?'

'Jimmy, until I saw Mr Barrow with you today I pitied him even more than myself.'

Jimmy frowned. 'Why?'

'At least I had a little of you.' She said with a grimacing smile. 'But you gave him nothing for years. I must admit I thought you never would.' She sighed again and went back to her sewing. 'How long did you make him wait, Jimmy?' She added quietly, a simple throwaway question that cut him to the bone.

Jimmy wasn't inclined to answer that question.

Because the truthful answer, stated in such stark terms as years, was utterly appalling.

'Right, I'm all set…oh!' Samuel emerged from the caravan, Daisy balanced over one arm, to the perplexing sight of his wife in conversation with a strange (and beautiful) man that looked like he was about to cry.

'Darling, this is Mr James Kent of Downton Abbey. We used to work together, you may dimly recall him.' Said Ivy, rising from her seat, keeping tight hold of the gathered fabric in her hand as she went to give Samuel a light peck on the cheek, taking Daisy into her own arms.

'Ah yes, of course! Mr Kent, such a pleasure to see you again!' Said Samuel with a broad smile, holding his hand out.

Jimmy managed a weak grin and took the man's hand to shake it, knowing for absolute certain that he had never laid eyes on Ivy's husband before, but appreciating the friendliness all the same.

'I'm off now lovelies.' Said Samuel brightly, speaking to Ivy and Daisy together. 'If you need me you'll find me…'

'In the pub.' Daisy cut in in her endearing matter of fact tone.

Samuel laughed and leant to give a quick kiss to her forehead before bestowing another on Ivy.

'Good evening to you Mr Kent.' He said smartly, with a tip of his hat as he left.

'Good evening Mr Gregory.' Jimmy responded.

Jimmy lingered as Ivy sat herself back down, Daisy taking up position by her feet again.

'What are you making there?' He said, nodding towards the sewing in Ivy's lap and the colorful fabric Daisy was playing with on the ground, willing his voice to be stronger.

'We're making Daisy a princess for the fancy dress tonight.' Said Ivy. 'Aren't we pet?'

Daisy nodded.

'Are you taking part as well?' Said Jimmy.

'Yes.' Ivy said with a slightly pained expression on her face. 'I shall be the fairy godmother.'

'Do you want to be the prince?' Daisy piped up from the floor.

'Oh, well I…' Jimmy stuttered, as disinclined to take part in a fancy dress pageant as he had been to engage in the swimsuit completion earlier, but he couldn't quite bring himself to refuse Daisy, not when he was in need of making amends with her mother. '…I suppose I could.'

'Oh no, love!' Ivy cut in, leaning over to speak with Daisy as though sharing a prized secret. 'Prince charming is always a stranger.' She said sagely. 'And who knows, you may find him at the ball.' She whispered with a wink, instantly pacifying the little girl who had twisted her lip as though about to go into a strop.

Jimmy smiled in spite of himself, finding Ivy's manner of mothering highly endearing, but also in gratitude to her for saving him from…

'But we mustn't disappoint Mr Kent here if he is eager to get involved.' Ivy continued. 'What do you say we make  _him_ the fairy godmother?'

'What!?'

'Oh yes!' Daisy actually jumped up off the floor in delight at the idea, skipping around Jimmy to look him up and down as though already imagining him in costume.

'No, no, no…I can't…' Jimmy began frantically.

'Well volunteered Mr Kent!' Said Ivy devilishly. 'Don't worry, I think we have everything you'll need. I don't mind bequeathing you my costume, I think it will fit…'

'But…'

'Now the only problem is hair…I haven't a wig to lend you.' Ivy continued, ignoring his protests.

'Ribbons!' Daisy suddenly exclaimed.

'That's right, pet!' Said Ivy warmly. 'We could plait some ribbons and pin them to the mop-cap…'

'Mop-cap?  _Ribbons?_ ' Jimmy said fearfully. 'No, you can't…'

But Ivy and Daisy had already disappeared into the caravan to fetch them.

'What the bleeding hell have they done to you?' Thomas said in astonishment upon recognising the figure walking between Daisy and Ivy as Jimmy in the darkening light of twilight.

'Oh my word…' Thomas continued, staring wide eyed at the sight of Jimmy dressed up as what looked like a strange mix between a milk-maid and a noble woman from the eighteenth century. Were it not for the stick with a small foil star on it clutched in Jimmy's hand, Thomas would not have been able to guess his costume in the slightest.

'My fairy godmother.' Daisy informed Thomas.

'Yes, I can see that…' Said Thomas, his eyes travelling down from the makeshift ribbon 'hair' hanging down from the floppy cap, to the frilly neckline of the pink and green bodice of the dress, to the voluminous skirts that just reached Jimmy's shins, to the hilarity that was the sight of Jimmy's normal shoes underneath the aforementioned outfit.

'I…I am the fairy godmother.' Jimmy repeated, giving Thomas a look that begged for some kind of salvation.

'Don't forget to show him the best part.' Said Ivy brightly, tugging up the bunched skirts to reveal the lacey trim of a pair of very old fashioned bloomers that brushed at the tops of Jimmy's knees.

'Holy…' Thomas managed to stop himself from swearing, remembering just in time that there was both a lady and a child present.

'We thought…' Said Ivy. '…that since Mr Kent has so kindly volunteered to walk with Daisy in the costume pageant, you might like to come and…'

Thomas had already swept his coat around his shoulders, grabbed his hat and begun heading down the hill by the time that Ivy concluded. '…watch.'

Thomas and Ivy left an excitable Daisy, and a nauseous looking Jimmy, to wait outside the main hall with the rest of the contestants while they went and laid claim to a table right at the front of the semi-circle that ringed the open dance floor.

Thomas discarded his hat and coat and found just enough time to grab a pint for himself and a ginger beer for Ivy before the band burst into what was no doubt the camp theme song, something most of the occupants of the other tables joined in whole heartedly, and the master of ceremonies appeared on the small stage above the dance floor to announce the evening's entertainment; unsurprisingly, for anyone who had walked past the growing group of oddly dressed characters outside the hall on their way in, the first event was to be a fancy dress show.

Thomas leaned forwards eagerly, elbows on the table, as the band started up a jaunty march and the doors were opened to admit the contestants.

The first contestants to enter were evidently a young brother and sister, one a pirate one a raggedy doll, who walked serenely around the hall, peering curiously at the spectators, before taking up a spot at the front of the stage as indicated by the master of ceremonies.

The next person to enter, a man of perhaps thirty years or so, was also dressed as a pirate. But instead of walking as the children had done before, he entered the hall at an exaggerated (but slow) run. Seconds later the spectators roared with laughter at the sight of a young boy clad in a crude approximation of a crocodile, fabricated from felt and card, who came in to chase after him.

'I don't see it?' Ivy whispered to Thomas, who was laughing along with the rest of the audience.

'It's Captain Hook and the crocodile from Peter Pan.' Thomas whispered back.

'Oh, I heard about that, is it any good?' Said Ivy.

A roar of laughter, even more hearty than that for the mini crocodile and the frightened pirate, rapidly drew their attention back to the show.

Thomas was caught somewhere between gleeful laughter and painful cringing at the sight of Jimmy gingerly entering the hall, looking like a highly disgruntled pantomime dame, holding onto the hand of Princess Daisy for dear life.

Jimmy mentally made a catalogue of all the items in his life he would happily exchange to not be there at that particular moment as Daisy began to lead him in a big circle around the hall. His cheeks absolutely flamed at the laughter and there were more than a few jolly cat-calls he could have done without as well. He could have also done without Daisy beginning to skip. Because as she began to do so, he was forced into a little trot to keep up.

Eventually he threw all dignity to the wind and broke out into a proper skip beside her, just in time to pass Ivy and Thomas (the former beaming in pride at her pretty daughter, the latter chocking on his drink).

It was just as well Jimmy had decided to abandon all dignity by the time he and Daisy reached the front of the stage to line up with the others; as they came to a halt Jimmy was suddenly hit with the unwelcome realisation that the lace from his bloomers was now brushing at his shins, a good half a foot below where the lace  _should_  be brushing, and was forced to conclude that they were falling down.

His hopes that they would remain in their present position, embarrassing but not catastrophically so, were soon dashed when the contestants were instructed to shuffle a little to their right and the bloomers came down entirely.

Amid a wave of laughter, and the master of ceremonies quipping that he must have done it on purpose to get more votes, Jimmy quickly bent down to retrieve them, doing his best to maintain modesty while he pulled them up.

Thomas turned to Ivy with a look of absolute awe.

'The elastic must have been faulty.' She said with a small shrug, hiding her grin behind her glass.

Thomas's grin broadened.

'Were I still wearing my hat I would take it off to you, Mrs Gregory.' He said with a chuckle.

After the results were announced (the contest going to the crocodile and the pirate, although the 'beautiful' Princess Daisy and the 'drawer dropping antics' of her fairy godmother did get an honorable mention) Jimmy conveyed Daisy over to the table safely before demanding of Thomas. 'Cigarette. Now.' And stomping off.

'Whatever the lady wants.' Thomas said wryly, nodding to Ivy and Daisy as he rose to follow.

He exited the hall to find Jimmy leaning up against the wall, hands under his skirt, wrenching the bloomers down his legs.

'That is quite possibly the most disturbing thing I have ever seen.' Said Thomas, fishing his cigarette packed out of his pocket as Jimmy stepped out of the bloomers and left them lying on the grass. 'I love it.'

'Bastard.' Growled Jimmy, accepting a cigarette even as he glowered at Thomas.

Thomas chuckled. 'You got anything else on under that skirt?'

'Yes.' Said Jimmy firmly, flicking the ribbon braids away from his face as he brought the much needed cigarette up to his lips, fighting the urge to pull a brief can-can esque maneuver to support his assertion, but conscious that there would most likely be others escaping from the hall now that the fancy dress was over.

'That Ivy's a surprisingly wicked one when she wants to be.' Said Thomas. 'Who knew?'

'Who indeed! ' Jimmy concurred, moving to hide behind Thomas as he heard others approaching from inside the hall.

When they went back in (the bloomers bunched up in Jimmy's hand, to be concealed under the table) they found that Samuel had joined Daisy and Ivy.

Samuel laughed raucously at the sight of Jimmy and insisted on buying him a drink, commenting on how confident he must be in himself as a man in order to take part in such an event; something which led Thomas and Ivy to share a secret glance of amusement across the table.

The five of them had a merry evening, although Jimmy became increasingly perturbed at the amount of people who came up to shake his hand, until little Daisy's yawns had them vacating the hall for the long walk back to the caravan.

Jimmy was intensely grateful to get back into his suit.

'What will it take for you to never mention this day again?' Jimmy said wearily to Thomas as they reached their tent.

'Ooooh, I don't know…' Said Thomas mischievously, reaching into his suspiciously bulging coat pocket to pull out a wad of fabric.

Jimmy recognised the coarse lacy trim immediately.

'Oh you didn't!' He said.

'Well they were broken anyway. Ivy didn't mind…'

'You  _asked_  Ivy for them!' Said Jimmy incredulously.

'As a souvenir.' Thomas replied smartly. 'Don't worry. I doubt her mind is corrupted enough to have guessed the real reason.'

' _Real_  reason…?'

'Well I  _did_  enter the swimsuit completion. Fair's fair. Put them on.' Said Thomas, pressing the bloomers against Jimmy's chest until he consented to take them in hand.

'Jesus.' Jimmy muttered darkly, bending down to crawl into the tent, discarding his shoes and making to pull them on over his trousers.

'Everything else  _off_ , Jimmy.' Said Thomas with an evil wink, setting himself down on the floor outside the tent to have another cigarette while Jimmy attended to the task. A large amount of rustling and cursing behind him heralded Jimmy's compliance. 'Are you decent?' Thomas called upon eventually discarding the cigarette.

'I hate you.' Came the response from inside the tent.

With a devilish smile, Thomas crawled in, fastening the ties of the tent behind him before taking in the sight of Jimmy lying over the blankets in the lamplight, as instructed solely clad in the offending bloomers.

'I really hate you.' Said Jimmy petulantly, bending his knees up defensively.

Thomas's eyes lingered on the curve of Jimmy's backside as emphasized by the pull of the fabric before relenting and lying down over him.

Running a slow hand up from Jimmy's shin, over the lace and along his thigh, Thomas kissed him gently.

'You know, these are perfect for you.' Said Thomas with a smile, kneading at Jimmy's hip underneath the fabric. 'A little bit innocent, and a little bit ridiculous.'

'Oi!' Jimmy exclaimed, going to give him a smack but finding his hand suddenly trapped above his head as Thomas descended to kiss him again. Abandoning his outrage at the feel of Thomas's tongue sliding in past his lips, Jimmy extracted his hand to put it to a more fruitful task; getting Thomas out of his clothes.

Their lips barely left one another's for a moment as Thomas's clothes vanished one by one.

When he was fully naked, Jimmy rolled them over to straddle over Thomas's hips. The fabric of the bloomers, having no stretch whatsoever, pulled tightly against his rear as he did so, but not so tight that Thomas couldn't slide a hand in under the fabric to squeeze playfully at his buttocks.

'Mmmm…' Thomas ran his spare hand over the lace at Jimmy's knee, grinding himself up against Jimmy's crotch as he did so. 'Much as I'm enjoying this, I think these are going to have to come off…'

'Right…' Jimmy whispered, rolling off Thomas to lay beside him.

Thomas propped himself up, his hand playing over Jimmy's chest as he waited.

He frowned as Jimmy continued to lie still, not making a move to take the bloomers off.

'What…?' Thomas began, but then he recognised 'the look'. The look that said Jimmy wanted him desperately but was unable to fully action the desire alone. It was a look he hadn't seen in a while.

Reassuring him with kisses, Thomas tugged his underwear down for him, moving to lie immediately between his open legs so as not to leave him uncomfortably exposed any longer than necessary.

He brought their lips together for a kiss far deeper, wetter and more lingering, than those they had shared so far that evening as Jimmy's arms wrapped around his shoulders, holding him close.

'Do you want me tonight, love?' Said Thomas softly as they broke apart, moving a hand between them and down to Jimmy's entrance to indicate specifically what was meant.

'Yes.' Jimmy whispered. 'But…'

'But what?' Said Thomas gently, drawing his hand back and looking down at him in concern.

Jimmy bit his lip and briefly turned his head away, before turning back to Thomas, evidently after triumphing over some inner struggle in order to do so.

'I'm sorry about before.' Said Jimmy softly.

'The swimming shorts?' Said Thomas, confused. 'Why on earth would you apologise for that? It was marvelous!'

'No. I mean… _before_ before.' Said Jimmy with a sorrowful look and watery eyes that had Thomas wanting to lower himself back down and smother him with a hug. 'I'm sorry I made you wait so long, before. Sorry it took me so long to…'

Thomas silenced him with a light kiss. 'You got there eventually.' He said gently. 'And Lord knows I would have waited longer.'

Jimmy smiled at that, even as a tear managed to escape to roll down the side of his head. 'Still…Thank you.' He said.

'You're…welcome.' Said Thomas, twisting up his face apologetically at being unable to come up with anything more poetic to say.

For a moment they stayed as they were, poised painfully close to one another but somehow separate.

'Come back down here.' Said Jimmy , breaking the moment with a laugh, throwing his arms up around Thomas's shoulders to draw him down.


End file.
